Lunar Temptations

Ch 25

I walked down the stairs, and my footsteps echoed. I could no longer hear their conversation as their voices went quiet.

Turning the last corner, I came face to face with Mrs Castillo, who was sitting on the couch in a posture that seemed too formal. Well, we weren't on very casual terms, if any terms at all. However, beside her was another woman, whom I assumed she was talking to earlier. I tried to recognize the unknown woman. She appeared to be around my age, probably in her early 20s and had a smile on her face. Her features were attractive, and she was beautiful.

Have I seen her before? - was all I could think as I greeted them.

They stood up, and I gave each of them a polite hug. Although Mrs Castillo was stiff, she still kept up the act and returned the hug just as politely. Well, I guess I had underestimated her, thinking she would express her disappointment right away.

"I am Nicole, the Beta's wife," the unknown woman introduced herself with a smile. It took me by surprise, but I was glad to meet her. She seemed like a nice person so far, at least much better company than the stiff woman beside her.

"I am Raya-" I began but lost my words as I pondered how to introduce myself - as Zayden's fiance, his mate, their future Luna, or what?

"Alpha's mate, yes, I know you. I am glad to finally meet you," Nicole said before I could reply. We sat down as Danna came along with a trolley filled with delicacies, some of which I couldn't even recognize. She was a multi-talented woman; I bet she could prepare almost every ethnic food that ever existed. As long as my taste buds loved it, I had no issues with trying each one, and with Danna, I could blindly trust her.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you, Mrs Castillo and Nicole?" I politely asked, regretting it a moment later. Was it too forward? Should I have waited for them to speak up or after they had something to eat? My eyes scanned the centre table as Danna served them.

"Oh please, we haven't properly met yet. Call me Esther." For the first time since I arrived, Mrs Castillo's face lit up with a smile, though it surely wasn't a natural one from what I could tell. Her features seemed slightly concerned, as if something else was on her mind and I was far too unnoticeable to interact with. "Since you are now part of the pack and our family, I believe we should accept each other and move forward," she continued.

Her words took me off guard. She wanted me to call her what? And she wanted to do what? I must have blinked once or twice to register what she had just said. I surely was expecting a series of insults or taunts, even though I wasn't prepared for them, but this... this was something I hadn't expected, let alone prepared for.

Maybe she was indeed a remarkable leader, or maybe she had taken the unfortunate event of the engagement night too seriously. Whatever it was, it had certainly caught me off guard, and I was at a loss for words. Something about it didn't seem genuine, or maybe it was, and I was just too surprised to acknowledge it.

"I agree-" I paused, "Esther." My eyes kept wandering back to her as she seemed distracted, but she managed to keep her face stoic nevertheless. Meanwhile, Nicole watched us closely while munching on one of the kebabs.

Or maybe she was only putting on a show for Nicole so that it wouldn't give off the wrong impression. One thing I knew about Esther was her efforts to maintain a perfect impression, whether it was about her family or about someone she disliked. Either way, I would have to play along since I had been focusing on creating a good impression for the past few days.

The thought brought my attention back to Zayden. What would he be doing right now? What would he have done if I had told him that his mother was visiting?

Well, he would have called her bluff.

We talked for a while, and by "we," I meant Nicole and me. She was a humble woman who was kind and witty, unlike Esther. Her company was cheerful, and deep down, I felt glad to have her by my side. The beta, whom I had yet to meet, was supposed to stay by the Alpha's side, while his wife would accompany the Luna as her second. It was one of the rules made centuries ago, and I had always wondered what it would be like to have a second and what she would be like. Having a loyal and determined second was important for Luna, as she would need someone to advise her alongside. We talked about the upcoming annual Lycan Ball, which I had almost forgotten about, before switching to personal topics.

"I would love to meet the twins. How old are they?" I asked Nicole as she told me about her kids. Drake, the beta, and Nicole had met when they turned 18 and immediately fell in love. It was love at first sight for them, or maybe for every mate-bonded wolf, but what would I know about it? And now, 4 years later, they were married and had a twin boy and a girl.

It was as if they had the most perfect life imaginable. Perfect mate, perfect love, perfect kids, and perfect timing for everything.

"They just turned one. You should come along someday with Alpha Zayden. I am sure they will love their Alpha and Luna," Nicole said with a light laugh. "I look forward to it already," I replied.

As we chatted, Esther suddenly cleared her throat, capturing our attention. She hadn't participated much in the conversation and had been on a call throughout. Not that I wanted to interact with her much anyway.

"Zayd has some files of mine in his office," she said, standing up. "I'll take a look." And she headed off towards his office. I had explored the house in the past few days, but his office was one of the places I hadn't visited yet. However, I doubted anyone would storm off to someone's office like she just did. I was about to get up and show her the way or accompany her, but she was already gone.

"I am sorry, but I've got to go. The kids-" Nicole began to explain.

"No, I understand." I nodded, smiling at her. She hugged me before I led her out. Somehow, she even managed to make me promise her a visit. And I might have swiftly agreed because my mind was elsewhere, focused on a specific woman who still hadn't returned.

The moment I closed the door, I hurried inside towards Zayden's office. If he was here and knew that his mother was going through his things, he wouldn't be happy, and I didn't intend to be the cause of that.

I scurried down the hall, looking for a woman in a plaid cream skirt, but there was no one to be found. I headed towards Zayden's office when my eyes landed on a silhouette standing and fading into a room. I squinted when I realized where she was. It certainly wasn't Zayden's office; instead, it had a familiar metal door. The same door and room where I had found Zayden after waking up.

I followed her inside and slowly twisted the doorknob. The room came into view, but for the first time, I took in its interior. It had high walls reaching up, probably three times my height, and the interior... Well, there was none. Only plain white walls stretched on all four sides, with a heavy metallic door with several locks. What caught my attention were the huge claw marks stretching wide and rough as Esther stood examining them.

What happened here? Why were these vicious claw marks here? And judging by their size, they clearly belonged to the Alpha. Wheels started turning in my head as I stood at the door, examining the room alongside Esther. Some marks were fresh, while others were old. Not many days ago, I had seen Zayden here in nothing but a robe, and that could only point to one thing. These were his claw marks, and he had done this after locking himself in this room.

But why would he do that? And why hadn't I noticed any of this before?

"You're going to be the end of him," Esther's voice made me jolt in surprise, but the next moment, I was frozen. Frozen from what she had just said.